Four Weeks. One Purpose. A Mission of a Lifetime.
“If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space.”
It’s a stark line. And sometimes, an honest one.
It speaks to the comfort zones we often - knowingly or unwittingly - find ourselves in. But the thing about comfort zones is, the longer we stay inside them, the more they start to gnaw at us.
They become predictable. Lifeless.
It’s worth reminding ourselves, now and then, that real living happens on a thin line - somewhere between risk and reward, between the unpredictable and the familiar.
Imagine trading the security of your streets for places where resources are rare, but determination, grit, and love burn brightly.
Standing at those edges demands courage.
And that’s exactly what the Marist Brothers’ four-week training program is designed to ignite.
Set in Manziana, Italy, the program isn’t a vacation. It’s an invitation - to work with and for those who have been pushed aside, and who sometimes need a nudge - or something far greater.
What Awaits You
This unique program offers the chance to join an intercultural community that promotes a ‘Culture of Encounter’ - as proposed by Pope Francis in 2016 - where, alongside like-minded Marists, you will live the spirit of simplicity and adventure.
The kind of adventure that serves those living on the margins - “not just seeing, but looking; not just hearing, but listening; not just passing people by, but stopping with them.”
Just as Marcellin Champagnat did.
This program is a formative journey into a grassroots way of being the kind of volunteer that places community, mission, and impact at its heart.
Through a blend of classes, reflection, and hands-on training, you will explore real-world challenges, learning how to respond not just with knowledge, but with compassion and action.
The Marist world is vast and diverse, with communities in places facing deep struggles. The experience of the Blue Marists in Aleppo, Syria prompted us to develop a capacity to respond to emerging needs by creating communities such as the Fratelli Project in Lebanon and Colombia, Solidarity with South Sudan, and the Lavalla 200> Project with the possibility of other similar projects and communities.
It’s about building bridges - between people, between needs and resources, and between faith and action.
This program invites you to live in an intercultural community – different nationalities, different languages – where you will live, pray, reflect, and see the world, and yourself, through a Marist lens: as someone called to make Jesus Christ known and loved, especially among those who need it the most.
Why It Matters
This opportunity isn’t just about volunteering. It’s about embarking on a journey of personal discovery.
But the four weeks training is only the beginning. After this immersive experience, participants will be invited to commit, if you are able, to two to three years of service in a Marist community - in one of our international locations. This invitation is open to all – lay and brother Marists, young or not-so-young (but definitely young at heart), single or married.
What matters is your willingness to say yes to something bigger than yourself.
Where It Happens
Manziana - a peaceful village outside Rome - will be your home for the preparation period.
Nestled in nature and rich in history, it offers the perfect space to slow down, reflect, and understand how you would like to contribute to the mission.
Expect lively conversations, quiet prayer, intercultural exchange, laughter, learning, and a deep sense of family.
The Star of the Sea Province will support you materially, including visas and travel.
All you need to bring is an open heart.
How?
To express your interest or start a conversation, reach out to Bridge Builders Director, Br Chris Wills at chris.wills@marists.org.au.
Say yes to something meaningful - through volunteering, walk with others, grow in faith, and make a real difference.
The Edge Is Calling
Will you say yes?